Lady Constance de Bret was determined to be a nun, until shadows from the past eclipsed her present. Marriage is the safest option, but she insists on a spiritual union, in which physical intimacy is forbidden. Not so easy with a bridegroom who wields unparalleled charm! But a long-buried secret could taint his affection and cloak her in shadow forever.

Back from the Crusades, Sir Robert le Donjon craves a home of his own and children to inherit it. From the moment he meets Constance, he feels a mysterious bond between them. When she’s threatened, he vows to protect her and agrees to the spiritual marriage, with the hope of one day persuading her to enjoy a “real” one. She captivates him but opens old wounds and challenges everything he thought he believed.

“Neither do I, on the whole. But you’ll like this one.” He reached toward his belt.

She stepped back. “What are you doing?”

“Undressing.” He set his belt on the table.

Her stomach dropped. “Why?”

“Aren’t you the suspicious one?” He pulled off his boots. “’Tis customary to doff one’s clothes at bedtime.”

She whirled around, turning her back on him. “I slept fully clothed at the nunnery.” She stared hard at the stone wall.

“I hate to state the obvious, but this isn’t a nunnery.”

“Well, how do you sleep?”

“Naked, of course.”

Heat flooded her cheeks and forehead. “Is that necessary?”

“I could wear my breeches.”

She sighed. Whew!

“On one condition.” His tone was loaded with meaning beyond her grasp.

What condition? What does he want from me?

She turned to face him. Apart from his calf-length breeches, he was nude. Her gaze locked onto his chest.

Sculpted by combat. Scarred by war. Covered with black hair.

“Any objection?” His voice was soft, deep.

She forced her gaze to his eyes. They looked darker now. Was it a trick of the light?

He’s waiting for an answer. Say something! “No.”

“Good.”

“How did you undress so fast?”

“The battlefield teaches one to do everything fast.” His eyes sparkled. “Well, not everything.”

Did her heart still beat? She couldn’t tell. His tone was so suggestive.

“You blush, my lady.”

Her hands flew to her cheeks. “And whose fault is that?”

He gave her a rueful smile. “Mine. But if we’re to be friends, I have to speak honestly.”

“About sexual matters?”

“About all matters. Can you live with that?”

She hesitated, then gave him a nod. “I can. And in that vein, what is the condition you proposed?”

“Right. If I’m to smother myself with added linen—”

“Breeches, Sir Robert. They’re just breeches.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “So say you. But if I do that, you must sleep in your chemise only.”

Her jaw dropped. Then she frowned. “Why?”

“For the sake of comfort.”

“I’m comfortable clad.”

He looked down, and his fingers seized the tie to his breeches. “Fine. If you’d rather I drop my—”

“Stop!” She grumbled. “Very well. I’ll sleep in my chemise.”

He smiled. “I’ll go lie in bed and shut my eyes, if you’d like.”

“I would like.”

“Do you prefer one side of the bed to the other?”

She shrugged. “It matters not.”

“Then I lay claim to the left.”

As soon as the bed creaked beneath his weight, she removed her headdress. Then she disrobed as quickly as she could and scurried to the bed.

“Why such haste?” he asked as she slid beneath the covers.

“My feet are cold.”

“Mine are warm. You’re welcome to—”

“No, Sir Robert. I’ll warm up soon enough.”

Author Bio:

Judith Sterling’s love of history and passion for the paranormal infuse everything she writes. Flight of the Raven, Soul of the Wolf, and Shadow of the Swan are part of her medieval romance series, The Novels of Ravenwood. The Cauldron Stirred is the first book in her YA paranormal fantasy series, Guardians of Erin. Written under Judith Marshall, her nonfiction books–My Conversations with Angels and Past Lives, Present Stories–have been translated into multiple languages. She has an MA in linguistics and a BA in history, with a minor in British Studies. Born in that sauna called Florida, she craved cooler climes, and once the travel bug bit, she lived in England, Scotland, Sweden, Wisconsin, Virginia, and on the island of Nantucket. She currently lives in Salem, Massachusetts with her husband and their identical twin sons.